Teamsters Raise Funds for Camp Fire Victims

Teamsters Joint Council 7 Raises Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars

PARADISE, Calif. – Members of Teamsters Local 2010 who lost their homes in the recent Camp Fire received $1,000 checks on Monday, December 17, from the Teamsters Joint Council 7 Disaster Relief Fund.

The checks were delivered to the seven Chico State University employees by Local 2010 Secretary-Treasurer Jason Rabinowitz.

“I have never been prouder to be a Teamster,” said Dave Hawley, Teamsters Joint Council 7 President. “The outpouring of support from Teamsters across the nation has been remarkable.”

“The Teamsters Union is a family that stands together and supports each other, especially in times of need,” Rabinowitz said. “Our members survived a terrible disaster and were there for each other through the whole ordeal. This is what the union is all about.”

In a matter of weeks, over $300,000 was donated by local Teamster unions across the nation, including $150,000 by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Washington D.C.

The Teamsters Joint Council 7 Disaster Relief fund has so far delivered over 176 checks to victims of the Camp Fire that devastated Northern California earlier this year.

“It doesn’t matter how big or how small,” said Brannon Pruis, a Chico State University metal worker. “Everything helps. The things we are getting from the Teamsters are the things that will help us see tomorrow.”

According to Cal Fire, California’s forestry and fire protection agency, the Camp Fire burned over 150,000 acres, destroying over 14,0000 buildings and killing at least 86 people, making it one of the worst fires in California history.

“You can’t prepare for stuff like this,” Pruis said. “I have been in Paradise for over 38 years. I grew up here and now you can’t even recognize it anymore.”

“My wife and daughter were able to get out with plenty of time. I went back up and had a hell of a time getting back. It was 38,000 people trying to get out on three to four roads,” said Chris Phillipp, a Chico State University facility worker. “It has been crazy seeing everyone come together. I appreciate everything the Teamsters are doing. You don’t have to do this, but you are.”

The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund is a charitable 501(c) 3 developed in 1991 to assist Teamster members who have suffered a loss from a disaster. The fund receives donations from local unions and their members and is currently developing a fundraising plan to support Teamsters Local 2010’s efforts in providing relief when disaster strikes.

Teamsters Joint Council 7 represents more than 100,000 members in 23 Local Unions spread across 48 counties of Northern California and the Central Valley and 14 Northern Nevada counties.

Teamsters Local 2010 represents over 14,000 workers who keep the University of California and California State University systems running every day. This includes approximately 1,100 skilled trades workers at Cal State and 1,300 at the University of California, as well as approximately 12,000 clerical and administrative support workers at the University of California.

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